Implant Surgery

What is a Dental Implant?

A dental implant is a specially designed titanium post that is inserted into the jawbones in order to replace a missing tooth or teeth. For an implant to be successful it must fully integrate or fuse with the surrounding bone. This phenomenon of fusing with the bone is an unusual outcome as most materials that are placed within the body will usually be rejected. Titanium placed in the jaw bones under specific conditions have the ability to integrate and can then be used as a strong support for dental function. The time needed for bone to integrate with the dental implant is usually 3 months but can take 4 to 6 months if bone is soft or bone grafts are required.